Penelope Plunkett Campbell passed away peacefully on December 29, 2023 at the age of 85 in Middlebury, Vermont after her family had gathered. Penny was born in New Rochelle, New York to Evelyn and Harold Plunkett on July 9, 1938. She was raised in Rye, New York, graduating from Rye Country Day School and Bradford Junior College before transferring to University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill to complete her degree in English. Penny met the love of her life, Bob, on a ship returning from a trip to Europe with friends, a sea voyage they repeated in celebration of their fiftieth wedding anniversary. Penny and Bob married in 1961 and raised their four daughters in Greenwich CT before retiring to Middlebury Vermont and Vero Beach Florida in 2001.
Penny had a lifelong love of flowers, gardening, birds, and animals. While living in Greenwich, in addition to caring for her family and their often large menagerie of animals, she was a member of Hortulus Garden Club, a volunteer for National Audubon, a member of the Junior League, a volunteer at her daughter’s schools, and a regular flower arranger for the sanctuary of First Presbyterian and later Round Hill Community Churches.
When she and Bob moved to Middlebury, Penny became involved in the early stages of the creation of the Town Hall Theater, working on fundraising and planning and became a member of Middlebury Congregational Church.
Penny had a beautiful singing voice and loved music. She would sing with her girls frequently in the kitchen or the car and would rally friends and family around the piano to sing carols at Christmas. She loved birds, flowers and interior design and generously shared her passions and knowledge with her family and friends.
Penny and Bob shared a sense of adventure and loved to travel. They loved nothing more than planning their next trip and explored the world together, visiting a great variety of places such as Greenland, New Zealand, and Peru.
More than anything, Penny was filled with joy for living and love for her family. Nothing made her happier than having her girls and their families visit. The house was always ready, the pantry always full and the door and her arms always open.
Penny was predeceased by her brother, John Plunkett and is survived by her loving husband of 62 years, Milton (Bob) Campbell; her four daughters and their husbands: Kimberly and Wade Cobb of Middlebury, VT; Heather and Mark Leonard, of Winchester, VA; Catherine (Catie) and Phil Resor of Middle Haddam, CT; and Sarah and Keith Baker of Chattanooga, TN; her ten grandchildren: Helen Pampreen, James Cobb, Nathan Cobb, Meagan Carlone, Nicholas Leonard, Tucker Resor, Grayson Resor, Benjamin Resor, Sophie Baker, and Sam Baker; and her two great grandchildren: Evelyn and Declan Pampreen.
The family would particularly like to thank Tom Caliandro for brightening her life in the past few years and the staff of Eastview for their loving care. In lieu of flowers, please send donations in Penny’s name to: Eastview Annual Giving Fund, which supports Eastview staff, at 100 Eastview Terrace Middlebury, VT 05753 or The National Audubon Society.
A memorial service will be held Saturday, January 13th, at 11am at the Middlebury Congregational Church in Middlebury, Vermont.
